The popularity and affordability of DNA testing has meant that many people are discovering their Scottish heritage for the first time. After the initial excitement of seeing those DNA results, many move on to identifying Scottish surnames in a family tree. A natural progression is wanting to know if you have a connection to a Scottish clan.
Historians believe that the clan system has existed for 1,000 years emerging in the 11th century in Scotland. The word clan comes from the Scottish Gaelic clann, which means children or descendants. But since surnames came into use around the same time as clans, a strict definition of a clan as being all blood relations is not accurate. A better understanding of clan is a tribe of people living in the same area with a chief taking on the responsibility for protecting them. People took a chief’s surname for protection, not because they were related by blood; and they might change their surname based on their loyalty at a particular time. In return for a chief’s protection, clanspeople worked his land, fought in his wars and contributed food and provision for the good of the clan (or the chief!). Don’t be disappointed to find you don’t descend directly from a clan chief, even if you have the same surname, because the likelihood is small.
Please let me be a Highlander!
Most people searching for their Scottish heritage are hoping to connect with a Highland clan (think feudal system, kilts and the Scottish Gaelic). While the clan system was the primary way of living in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, it was not in the Lowlands. That’s not to say that there weren’t Lowland clans, but Lowlanders generally regarded the Highlanders who wore kilts and spoke Gaelic as barbaric. Some historians estimate that approximately 70 percent of all the families in Scotland were never associated with the ancient Highland and Island clans.
In addition, it is estimated that at least 5,000 of all Scottish surnames are actually district family names and not part of a clan. Districts are specific geographic areas, and there are more than 50 recognized districts in Scotland, each with its own tartan. Whether you end up with roots in the Highlands, Islands or the Lowlands, surname and family history is a good starting place when trying to identify if your Scottish ancestors were part of a clan or a family district.
Tips about Scottish surnames
Unsure about using a maternal or paternal surname? Personally, I believe that Scottish Americans and Scots Irish have the option to choose; many of us descend from multiple Scottish ancestors. Historically, lineage is determined by paternal lines in the clan system, and a woman would be part of her husband’s clan upon marriage. But for example, if a female Campbell married a French DuBois, he would be part of the Campbell clan as would their children.
When searching for a potential Scottish surname, it’s probably easiest to look for a Mac or Mc; Mac means “son of,” and Mc and M’ are abbreviations of Mac. But you should keep in mind that a Scottish surname does not necessarily start with Mc or Mac. Also remember that people took surnames because of their trade (Smith, Taylor, Clark, Walker), because they were the son of (Anderson, Wilson, Thomson), because of where they lived (Ross, Murray) or because of a physical characteristic (Brown, Reid). In fact, the 20 most common surnames in Scotland in 2014, according to the National Records of Scotland, were:
- Smith
- Brown
- Wilson
Wilson Tartan
Anderson Tartan - Thomson
- Robertson
- Campbell
- Stewart
- Anderson
- MacDonald
- Scott
- Reid
- Murray
- Taylor
- Clark
- Mitchell
- Ross
- Walker
- Paterson
- Young
- Watson
It’s also possible that a surname being used today is a derivation of the original name. The names of Scottish Americans and Scots Irish were often written phonetically by census takers, ministers, registers of deeds, etc. because the immigrants were illiterate. For example, one of my family surnames, McFalls, was probably MacPhail, which today is also spelled McPhaul, McFaul, Mackfall and McFall.
Once you’ve put together a list of surnames from your family tree, Google the origin of the name. Read the results from several different sources, and once you have a promising Scottish surname, your next step is to determine if it’s associated with a clan.
Who registers all the Scottish clans?
This is where it can get a bit more complicated. While there are official designations as relates to clan chiefs, coats of arms and tartans, there is no official clan registry. The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs is an official registry of Scottish chiefs who have been recognized by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, an officer of the Crown who regulates heraldry. And what is heraldry? In simple terms it was a system developed in the 13th century to identify nobility through symbols or coats of arms. The Standing Council currently acknowledges around 140 clans with chiefs.
But clans exist today without chiefs recognized by Lord Lyon — lots of them in fact. Here in the United States, the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations (COSCA) was started to promote Scottish heritage and to support clan organizations and associations. They have made contact with nearly 160 Scottish clan and family associations in the United States, but by some estimates there are more than 250 clan societies and associations.
Online search for clan by surname
There are a number of online sites where you can do a quick search to learn if your surname is associated with a clan. Many of these are commercial sites selling products related to clans. I have no connection with either of these sites, but they were simple to use:
ScotClans.com (not mobile friendly)
When you search you may find results that say your surname is a “sept” of a clan. Think of septs as families that decided or were forced to affiliate with a larger clan. Often a lesser clan may be associated as a sept with several different larger clans. For example, using my family surname, McFalls, the MacPhails (son of Paul in Gaelic) were septs of Clan Cameron, Clan Campbell and Clan Mackay. Some MacPhails were also part of a confederation of Highland clans called Clan Chattan, though in this relationship they were an equal clan not a sept. Unable to pinpoint a historical relationship through a specific ancestor to a specific clan, I have developed relationships with both Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan in honor of my McFalls heritage.
Got a clan, get involved!
Once you’ve identified a clan or clans to which your surname is associated, what’s next? It’s really up to you. Some are satisfied with having identified their ancestral connection to a clan or family district; others choose to claim their Scottish inheritance by joining a clan society and becoming involved with their gatherings and activities. Perhaps your expression of heritage is having a kilt, kilt skirt or sash made in your clan’s tartan or making a pilgrimage to Scotland. At the very least, I recommend finding a good history book and learning more about your family surname and its roots in Scotland.
Read next: exploring all the options when it comes to joining a clan society and getting a full immersion in Scottish culture.